Farewell, Hudson Valley: The Girl in the Check Scarf Heads to Utah!

Local fashionista, the Girl in the Check Scarf, bids adieu to the Valley

Sarah Justine

By the time you read this, I’ll be frantically running around a mall in Orem, Utah picking up last-minute dorm supplies and trying to remain calm. I’m both terrified and excited (but mostly terrified) about living on my own, and I’m interested to see how everything plays out over the next few months. I’m excited to meet new people and get a taste of western culture at college (the only perk to living in Utah, as far as I can tell, is fry sauce; that stuff is liquid gold), but to be totally honest, I’m going to miss the Valley like the dickens.

This is where I grew up. It’s where all my friends, immediate family, and loved ones are, and saying goodbye to them is proving to be harder than I initially anticipated.

While driving around my hometown of Poughkeepsie, I realized just how much I’m going to miss the area. I learned to ride a bike in Crestwood Park; met three of my best friends — and found my love of performance — at the Cuneen-Hackett theater; broke my elbow at Mr. Todd’s Gymnastics; spent countless hours watching the $3 movies in the South Hills Mall; danced the night away in Newburgh; walked who-knows-how-many-miles on Walkway Over The Hudson; got lost in books at the Three Arts on Raymond Avenue... and that’s just the beginning. Knowing that boarding a plane and leaving in a matter of hours has made me appreciate all these little things, and I know that I’ll treasure them in my heart for the rest of my life. I’m going to miss indie movies in Red Hook, Hudson Valley Fresh chocolate milk, the Arlington Street Fair, Cosmic Bowling at HoeBowl, strolling around Vassar Campus, and checking out art at Bard. And let’s be real, NOTHING, NOT NOBODY, NOT NO HOW will replace the special spot in my heart for the Apple Pie Cafe at the CIA and Eveready Diner.

I love the Valley with all my heart, and I have no doubt that I’ll be back, whether it’s visiting my family and best friends or raising a family here in the future. Thank you so much for reading my posts on The Couture Report; I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve had such a blast contributing to this blog and getting to know the fabulous HV Magazine staff. I’m really going to miss this experience, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be keeping tabs on the Valley while in Utah. I’m so excited to start this new adventure, and I’ll keep the Valley in my heart every step of the way.

About The Girl in the Check Scarf:Sarah Justine is an 18-year-old student/fashion blogger with nothing to wear, who reads The New Yorker, and schemes of going to Paris. She’s been blogging daily for three years at www.thegirlinthecheckscarf.com, and in March of 2012 she was named “One Of The Top 10 Bloggers Under 18” by guestofaguest.com. She is a TED attendee, fashion and technology geek, aspiring trend forecaster, and constant wearer of black clothing. She is currently a freshman at Bringham Young University and is a native of Poughkeepsie, NY.

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Hudson Valley Magazine’s official style and beauty blog keeps the Valley’s trend-setting crowd updated on all things fashion. From local sales and trunk shows to our latest editorials and street-style photo galleries, we’ll tell you what’s hot (and what’s not), what to wear and how to wear it, and how to be posh without ending up in the poorhouse.